There are different levels of auto detailing. The cheapest level may be merely washing the outside, like a car wash; the next degree may incorporate doing the interior and the boot as well and the top level may include the inside, outside and the engine.
Then there are levels of cleanliness within these categories too. for instance, the lowest degree might be to only vacuum the carpets, but the highest level may include taking them out and really laundering them.
Needless to say the amount of auto detailing you get will (or should) be reflected in the cost. The lowest degree might be $75 and the highest degree $300 for an averagely dirty average car.
Larger and dirtier cars will be more. However, the car will be restored to its pristine condition if that is at all feasible, so a decent detailing before selling your car might reap dividends.
It is not too hard to learn how to clean the exterior of a car well, but it is more of a problem to do the inside because you will need specialist tools and small vacuum cleaner heads to get into all the nooks and crannies.
You may also like to wash the rugs without removing them which can be a royal pain, if you do not have that special apparatus.
You can certainly buy the waxes, polishes, vinyl and leather cleaners and you can even buy the apparatus, it is only that you may find it expensive to purchase and time-consuming to use.
Cleaning the engine is more or less just a matter of blasting the grease off the engine with a quite weak pressure gun using degreaser in the (warm) water, so this means more specialist equipment.
The brushes and sponges are all fairly normal as are the liquids and detergents, polishes and waxes.
Some auto detailing businesses will also take care of minor repairs like a stitch that has come loose in the upholstery or a slight scratch on the bodywork.
However, I think that all companies ought to at least bring these defects to the owner's notice even if repair is not in the price. Repairing a minor scratch on a wing can save that wing from having to be replaced in the future. Likewise with tyres, if an employee spots difficulties and reports it, it could save a blowout.
Waxing is an central issue. I think that there ought to be a wax included in the shampoo, because it will run into all the joints and form a seal against rainwater. I am all for applying a second coat of wax by hand to the larger areas as well both for protection and appearance.
Do not bother applying a low-cost wax by hand, because it will come off after a few rain showers. If you are going to do the job, do it in the correct manner using a high quality wax that will protect your paintwork from the sun's bleaching rays, from the abrasion of wind-blown dust and from the oxidizing rain.
Then there are levels of cleanliness within these categories too. for instance, the lowest degree might be to only vacuum the carpets, but the highest level may include taking them out and really laundering them.
Needless to say the amount of auto detailing you get will (or should) be reflected in the cost. The lowest degree might be $75 and the highest degree $300 for an averagely dirty average car.
Larger and dirtier cars will be more. However, the car will be restored to its pristine condition if that is at all feasible, so a decent detailing before selling your car might reap dividends.
It is not too hard to learn how to clean the exterior of a car well, but it is more of a problem to do the inside because you will need specialist tools and small vacuum cleaner heads to get into all the nooks and crannies.
You may also like to wash the rugs without removing them which can be a royal pain, if you do not have that special apparatus.
You can certainly buy the waxes, polishes, vinyl and leather cleaners and you can even buy the apparatus, it is only that you may find it expensive to purchase and time-consuming to use.
Cleaning the engine is more or less just a matter of blasting the grease off the engine with a quite weak pressure gun using degreaser in the (warm) water, so this means more specialist equipment.
The brushes and sponges are all fairly normal as are the liquids and detergents, polishes and waxes.
Some auto detailing businesses will also take care of minor repairs like a stitch that has come loose in the upholstery or a slight scratch on the bodywork.
However, I think that all companies ought to at least bring these defects to the owner's notice even if repair is not in the price. Repairing a minor scratch on a wing can save that wing from having to be replaced in the future. Likewise with tyres, if an employee spots difficulties and reports it, it could save a blowout.
Waxing is an central issue. I think that there ought to be a wax included in the shampoo, because it will run into all the joints and form a seal against rainwater. I am all for applying a second coat of wax by hand to the larger areas as well both for protection and appearance.
Do not bother applying a low-cost wax by hand, because it will come off after a few rain showers. If you are going to do the job, do it in the correct manner using a high quality wax that will protect your paintwork from the sun's bleaching rays, from the abrasion of wind-blown dust and from the oxidizing rain.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on lots of subjects, but is now involved with auto interior detailing. If you want some tips on detailing cars come over to our website now at Detailing Car Interiors.